Criss-cross-applesauce. That's how you sit on the floor. Unless you have one of these cool Box Floor Cushions, then you sit in style – perhaps holding a small ceramic bowl of applesauce. Make more than one and scatter them about for extra seating at a party. Coordinate them with your rugs or carpet, or make them in bright accent colors and patterns so they really stand out. Or ... would that be "sit" out?

To create the box design of this pillow, you make a top and bottom piece in a similar fashion to a regular pillow, but instead of sewing the top and bottom to each other, you add a 4" strip between these pieces. This 4" strip is called a 'gusset'.

Creating this feature takes a bit of skill, so we'll call this project INTERMEDIATE, and we'll advise you to attempt it only after you feel comfortable making standard pillows with piping. Don't be scared, you can do it. Read through the steps carefully and go slow. This is one pillow you'll be so proud of when you're done.

Sewing Tools You Need

• Any Sewing Machine (we recommend the Janome MyStyle 100)
• Zipper Foot

Fabric and Other Supplies

• Foam insert: 18" wide x 18" high x 3” deep
• ½ yard batting
• 1 yard decorator fabric
• ⅓ yard coordinating fabric (for piping)
• 4½ yards of 4mm cable cord (for piping)
  Note: we're making our own piping for this project, but you could also buy 4½ yards of pre-made 4mm piping
• 8 buttons
• All purpose thread in colors to match fabrics
• Long upholstery needle (for sewing buttons)
• Upholstery thread
  Upholstery thread is a special heavy-weight thread for home decor projects. You can find it in a home or fabric store that sells home decor fabrics.
• Hand sewing needle (for slip stitching)
• Ruler
• Fabric marking pen

Getting Started

1. Cut two 19" squares from decorator fabric.
2. Cut two 39" x 4" strips of fabric (for gusset).
3. To create piping, from the coordinating fabric, cut 2" bias strips and stitch at a diagonal end to end until you have a 4½ yard length. If you've not made bias tape or piping before, read our tutorial: How To Make And Attach Your Own Piping.
   

At Your Sewing Machine

Attaching the piping

1. Lay one 19" square (Fabric A) on your work surface with right side facing up. Align the edge of the piping insertion with the edge of the fabric (so the corded side is facing in toward the center of the fabric). Pin in place, leaving a 2" tail free.
   
2. Using the zipper foot, and with the foot as close to the edge of the piping as possible, stitch the piping around the perimeter. Start and end in the center of one side. At each corner, stop with the needle down, lift the presser foot, and pivot the fabric 90˚.
3. Continue sewing your piping in place until you are back to where you started. Using that "tail" you accounted for at the beginning, cut off any excess piping so you have about 1" to work with.
4. With a seam ripper, peel back the fabric to expose the cording underneath.
   
5. Trim the end of the cording tail so it exactly meets the end of the sewn-down cording. Fold under the end of the loose fabric to create a clean edge and wrap around the ends. Overlap about 1/2" and stitch in place, matching your seam line.
   
   
   
6. Clip the insertion fabric of the piping at each corner to allow the piping to lay flat in the seam. When clipping the piping, be sure to clip within the seam allowance – do not clip through the seam or through the stitching that holds the internal cord in place.
   
7. Repeat steps 1-6 using the second 19" square.

Finishing the Cushion

1. Join together the two 39" x 4" strips along one 4" side to create one long strip measuring 77" x 4" for the gusset.
   
2. Starting in the middle of one side, and leaving 2" at the beginning and end of the strip, place the 77" x 4" gusset strip right sides together with one 19" square (the piping will be sandwiched between the two fabrics). Be sure to keep edges flush.
   
3. Again using your Zipper foot so you can stitch right along the edge of your piping, stitch gusset strip to square, starting in the middle of one side and removing pins as you go. Remember, you'll have about 4" un-sewn at your start/end point.
   
4. Place the 2" unsewn tails right sides together, and pin together along the 4" side.
5. Stitch the loose ends of the strip together along the 4" side. Press seam open.
   
6. Matching edges and seamline, stitch the remaining unsewn area of the strip to finish sewing the gusset strip to the 19" square.
   
7. Fold up the sides so it looks like the bottom of a gift box. Your piping will pop out along your seam line at the "bottom" edge of the "box." The next side is going to function like the "top" of the box.
8. Place the second 19" square right sides together with the top raw edge of the 77" x 4" gusset strip, aligning the top edge of the gusset strip with the edge of the insertion on the piping and the raw edge of the 19" square of fabric.
   
9. Sew the top square to the gusset strip, leaving most of one side open. Note: Be careful to sew only to the side of the 77" x 4" gusset strip, and not to the other 19" square.
   
   
10. Wrap foam square with batting. Using thread and a hand sewing needle, create a few stitches to adhere the batting to the foam square. You will need to do this in a few places.
11. Turn pillow right side out and insert foam into cover.
12. Slip stitch the opening closed. Read our tutorial: Hand Sewing: The Basics.
13. Map out where you would like your buttons on the cushion. I placed mine about 6" in from each corner.
14. Using a long needle and upholstery thread, stitch buttons through all thicknesses.
    

Hints and Tips

For easy insertion, wrap foam/batting with a plastic bag. Insert the open end of the bag in the cushion. After foam/batting is in place, gently remove the plastic bag.

Other machines suitable for this project include the Viking Platinum 775 and the Singer 7469 Confidence.

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